Crediting herself as a master technician who could integrate the theatricality of lighting into architectural spaces, Wheel was the first woman to practice lighting design. For many years she was the only woman practitioner. She opened her firm—first known as Wheel-Garon and later WSG—in 1961 and practiced for 37 years.
The recipient of numerous lighting awards, Wheel’s legacy is not just limited to design. A strong advocate of lighting education, she founded the IALD Internship Program and was the director of the Nuckoll’s Fund for Lighting Education and the IALD Education Trust. Her influence is felt by an entire generation of designers, who are today’s firm principals.
“Lesley was such a great influence on me,” Horton recounts. “Her personality was magical; you could never say no to her. What I admired most was not just her design and technical skills, but her spirit and passion for lighting design.”
That passion for lighting design has lead many women in the field to make a focused effort not to repeat the “mistakes” they encountered in their own schooling and early training. “I try to be a good mentor and not only communicate with my staff but get to know them as people,” Taylor says. “I’m trying to create an environment where people will succeed, not throw them into experiences that are over their head.”
Although Horton admits there is a certain dynamic to her firm—three of the five principals are women—nonetheless they work to create an inclusive environment for all members of the team. Particularly rewarding for Horton is to watch the generation of mid-career professional women she helped train in her office now step forward and impart their experience, knowledge, and confidence to a new generation of women entering the lighting profession.
None of this is to say that men are not thoughtful, concerned practitioners who also face the challenges of balancing work and family responsibilities. Two men are part of the eight-person lighting group at NBBJ. “I’d be concerned if we did not have that different point of view and I’d be worried if [the male members of the team] didn’t have those equal opportunities,” Taylor says.
However, it remains true that men do not experience the same hurdles as women in school or the workplace. “Women have worked and fought hard for their success,” Horton states. As women in lighting forge ahead, perhaps their colleagues in architecture will reap the benefits.
